Sophist

Soph"ist

,
n. [F.
sophiste, L.
sophistes, fr. Gr. . See Sophism.]
1. One of a class of men who taught eloquence, philosophy, and politics in ancient Greece; especially, one of those who, by their fallacious but plausible reasoning, puzzled inquirers after truth, weakened the faith of the people, and drew upon themselves general hatred and contempt.
[1913 Webster]

Many of the
Sophists doubdtless card not for truth or morality, and merely professed to teach how to make the worse appear the better reason; but there scems no reason to hold that they were a special class, teaching special opinions; even Socrates and Plato were sometimes styled
Sophists.

Liddell & Scott.
[1913 Webster]

2. Hence, an impostor in argument; a captious or fallacious reasoner.
[1913 Webster]

New - Add Dictionary Search to Your Site

You can add a free dictionary search box to your own web site by copying and pasting
the following HTML into one of your web pages: